“Ansem the Wise, for all of his talents, was human and thus prone to the same mistakes as any other human. When he appointed Xehanort to be his apprentice he certainly couldn’t foresee the darkness lurking in that boy’s heart, nor could he anticipate the Pandora’s Box that Xehanort would unleash upon us all. Despite this though, the one thing he could have done was confront—if not stop—the problem the moment he caught on, but he was never given the chance. Instead he found himself sentenced into exile in the dark realms to wander for eternity.”

“We know how long that lasted.”

“Yes, well—ah! So you are familiar with his story.” I nodded my head. Enthusiastically he continued, “Well then, let me get straight to what I believe was on his mind when he labeled your kind as ‘Nobodies.’

“At that point in his life Ansem the Wise was a bitter man; bitter at his old apprentices for betraying him by continuing his research in the matters of the heart and for banishing him, bitter towards Xehanort for laying waste to their beloved home without a second thought, and, more importantly, bitter towards himself for being the root of his own people’s suffering. Ansem the Wise, prior to that moment, had always compared himself to being like the Knights of the Round Table and conducted himself as such. After the fall of Radiant Garden he felt stripped of his dignity and his honor, and with the disappearance of his former apprentices he was even stripped of his right to claim his revenge. Void of any tangible catalyst for his rage and despair, the only thing he had left was his research. From his research he ‘discovered’ the Nobodies, and ultimately the remnants of the very people that caused him his pain. If he had been in the calm state of mind that he was known for, his earlier research on the Nobodies, especially on whether or not they felt the same emotions humans do, would be considerably different than what we were left with. Why? Simple: at the time that he did this research he felt no reason to believe that they could possibly be comparable to humans. The Nobodies he found were created from people who had betrayed and ridiculed him; who had gone to extreme lengths to accomplish their own desires without turning back to witness the chaos they heralded upon the worlds they touched! Why should he have considered them human when it’s embedded in human nature to feel compassion and justice, which they clearly seemed to lack? Besides, why should he have considered comparing them to other people when, in doing so, he would ultimately have to embrace his own faults?

“I personally believe it was a combination of those feelings of loathing and disparity that drove him to conclude that Nobodies don’t feel emotion. Don’t misinterpret, I’m not about to call any Nobody ‘human,’ but I can’t find it in my heart to simply deny all of you the right to be treated as one when becoming a Nobody isn’t a matter of choice.”

These last few words from him, as simple as they were, conveyed a message that certainly was…refreshing. For the first time in almost ten years, a gentle, sincere smile managed to blossom upon my face. Tilting my head down to chuckle a little, I told him that he was being biased because one of his former students (namely me) became a Nobody and that his insightful hypothesis into a dead man and his actions failed to answer the motives of an enigmatic sorcerer.

“Well of course I’m biased! I’m only human myself, after all. And with regards to Yin Sid…well,” Merlin grinned, “let’s just say that he’s a different type of man altogether and leave it at that.”

“Amen to that.” Taking a hearty sip from my teacup, I reminded Merlin that my purpose for being in his presence this day was that of official business and that we needed to get back on topic.

“Very well then.” Clearing his voice, Merlin resumed his interrogation. “Many Nobodies desire to be reunited with their…their…”

“’Somebody.’”

“Is that really what you call them?” I nodded. “Interesting…

“Anyway, many Nobodies desire to be reunited with their ‘somebody’ but usually never get the chance to. I know for a fact that you know where your ‘somebody’ is and that you keep in contact with them because I’ve talked to her. I want to hear your side of the story: why do you not wish to be reunited with her?”

Why that little óinseach! How dare she talk to Múinteoir without letting me know about it! No matter… Múinteoir was bound to find out one day anyway. “It’s rather simple, really: I’m not finished with my quest.”

“Quest? What quest?”

So she managed to hold her tongue. Heh…so she’s not a total óinseach. Good for her. “A quest that she herself asked me to accomplish for her. You see…we made a bargain with each other. If I fulfill my role than she, in return, will accomplish something she’s never taken the initiative to do.”

“I assume that asking you to be more specific will be a waste of time?”

“Hehe…that would be correct.”

“Then will you at least let me know if I’m guessing in the right direction?”

“If that be the case…then so mote it be.”

“Does this quest you’re undertaking have anything to do with something Mordred stole the night he raided Camelot?”

“Múinteoir, you’re shrewdness…never ceases to amaze me.”

“I should hope so. The day you are no longer surprised by it is the day I’ll surely have to worry about whether or not I should consider hanging up my wizard’s cloak.” Summoning one of his tomes he opened it with his magic to reveal a compact, green bottle that was hidden on the inside.

“Is that…what I think it is?” I leaned forward to try and get a better look.

“The moment I noticed that wheel charm you have hanging near you waist I knew exactly what it was for. It will definitely aid you, but you’ll need more than that to actually fulfill your quest.”

“But this potion…is used to negate active curses…does this mean that that diabhal still lives after all this time?” This time I didn’t bother hiding the anger that was creeping its way up into my continence, filling my eyes with its lust for blood.

“That dark presence that was felt in the Hundred Acre Wood was none other than Mordred passing through.” You’re dead. I bolted out of my chair and made a dash for the book when suddenly a force field constructed from light blocked my path.

My eyes were completely consumed by the shadows of vengeance. Furious at my old master I snarled at him, “Why do you stop me Múinteoir?! That man has to pay!!!”

“Xakiah, you disappoint me. You’re usually more willing to listen to the details before rushing off to battle. Then again, I don’t blame you for feeling that way after what he did to you.”

His words of sympathy did nothing to sooth my rage. “You knew from the very beginning that he was here! That he is still alive! Why didn’t you say anything prior to this moment about it Múinteoir?! Just what are you planning?!!”

As intense as the moment was, Merlin still used his old, calm tone and said, “To keep you alive.”

If I had a heart, it would have broken at the sight of Merlin’s eyes that were so sincere and so laden with sorrow. I forced myself to return to my previous composure. As soon as I was sure that my eyes had resumed their natural color I steadied my voice and asked, “Why?”

“Because, whether you are a human, a Nobody, or even a Heartless, I still consider you the closest thing I’ll ever have to a daughter. If I were to let you rush off to your death, knowing full well of what you’re up against, my heart would surely die along with you.”

A silence that mimicked eternity fell between us. I was dumbfounded; my Somebody did indeed consider Merlin the closest thing to a father she could ever hope for, but in her wildest dreams she never would have guessed that Merlin thought the same way. Fools…both of them…they shouldn’t be dragging me into this twisted drama. Then again…I was born into it, wasn’t I?

Gathering the nerve to speak I inquired, “So, Múinteoir, what am I up against?”

“A diabhal worse than the one you fought back in Camelot.” He lowered the barrier he placed around the book.

“Are you sure that’s such a good idea? I might try to…take matters into my own hands again.”

Merlin shook his head. “The very fact that you said that is proof enough that you won’t. Besides, even if you were to go in now you won’t find anything. Mordred left a few minutes before you got here.”

“Do you know why Mordred has returned? And more importantly…why did you let me in in the first place if you already knew the reason why I’m here is gone?”

“I don’t know specifically why Mordred has come back, but I have a feeling that, whatever it is, it’ll bring trouble for us all. Especially you since he despises you just as much as you do him.” Then Merlin added rather humorously, “Of course, I’ve yet to learn of an enemy who didn’t loath you.” My smile swelled with pride.

“Now, the reason why I agreed to your bargain and the reason why you are here: with Arthur out of the picture and Avalon in the state of chaos that it’s in, there are only two people in the universe left to stop Mordred from finishing what he started. I’m far too old to be sparring with one such as him, so that leaves the task of destroying him to you. Tell me; are you up to the job?”

Laughing like a child who’s just found a new toy to play with, I answered, “Oh…an official request for Mordred’s death? Heeheehee…what fun!

“Oh and…don’t worry about payment Múinteoir…I’ll do this job for free.”

“Are you certain about that? If you’re willing, I have something more valuable than any treasure to offer you that can be paid in full right now.”

“Hmm? And…what might that be?”

Smirking, Merlin asked, “How would you like learn one of my ultimate spells? Particularly, the one I call ‘Samhain?’”

~Xakiah
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I’m sure some of you are wondering, “What happened to Lerxia?” Don’t worry! Xakiah told her to that it was “mission accomplished” after giving Merlin her answer. ^_~ (Big mystery, right? XD)

Anyway, I apologize for not posting in…forever. However, I won’t apologize for this post being incredibly long. Why? Simple: I had too much fun making it! XD

If anyone has questions about some of the words I used in this post, just send me a comment and I’ll get it to you asap. Later everyone! ^_^